I was struck suddenly deaf by a very loud sound in August. I'm a jazz pianist, drummer, composer, etc. I now understand Beethoven's heartbreak. Lucky for me, my hearing mostly recovered, and with hearing aids I can function musically. But oh, what heartbreak I felt for many weeks. I can barely encompass Beethoven's suffering. This is a good one, Rick, thank you for your hard work.

Oh my gosh that letter. What an incredible man. He was determined to write the best possible music before he died. He was strong. Even though something awful happened he didn't let it stop him.

@joaquindelarosa1215

Жыл бұрын

He is truly an inspiration to everyone, not just musicians. Certainly is to me.

My favorite Beethoven story was his answer his brother Johann who signed off a letter to him, "From your brother Johann, landowner," In his reply Ludwig signed his letter off, "From your brother Ludwig, brain owner" They were definitely brothers..

@davidhooper259

4 жыл бұрын

Musicians being musicians...Mozart writes a canon entitled Leck mich im Arsch (translation-Lick my Ass)....And we thought the Sex Pistols were punk rock.

@nancygermain2996

Жыл бұрын

I love that! Land owner. Brain owner. That was great. They certainly were brothers.

@MsAppassionata

Жыл бұрын

My favorite story about him was the time another composer tried to upstage him after Beethoven had performed one of his pieces on the piano. After hearing it, the other composer (can’t think of his name at the moment) decided to arrange a piece which he deemed was an “improvement” on Beethoven’s, utilizing a string section. After they finished playing, Beethoven jumped up out of his seat, swept past the cellist, grabbing his score in the process, sat at the piano, turned the score upside down, and proceeded to do an elaborate improvisational piece based on the reversed notes. The other composer was so embarrassed by this that he refused to be seen in the same room with Beethoven from then onwards. 😂

@gscgold

Жыл бұрын

🤣

@user-gc8pc3ol6l

3 ай бұрын

@@MsAppassionata That was Daniel Steibelt. And happened in the third round of their musical improvisation contest.

I absolutely love Beethoven. I was just told a few days ago that I have severe hearing loss in my right ear. My left ear is completely deaf. I can hear sound, like Beethoven could. I consider him my "mentor/inspiration". I am grateful to live in a time, where I can have options to help with my hearing. I loved this video, and thank you for sharing your love for Beethoven.

@rajneeshsharma6786

4 жыл бұрын

All the best maam From India

@RockChalk263

3 жыл бұрын

I just lost the last of my residual hearing in my right ear and have no hearing in my left ear (wore hearing aids from age 2 to 40) and I'm getting a cochlear implant in a few weeks. While I'm scared about how things will sound with the implant, I'm also grateful that the option to have the implant exists.

@rodneyhorton5798

2 жыл бұрын

Beethoven was BLACK

@nishyanthkumar

2 жыл бұрын

@@rodneyhorton5798 So...? Even if he was, does that change the fact that he's one of the most widely-regarded composers on Earth? Does it invalidate his incredible compositions?

Completely deaf, writes arguably the greatest piece of music ever (9th Symphony). Beethoven is above all for me.

@carlostejada1479

3 жыл бұрын

I've heard it took him 23 years to compose the 9th symphony... so he was totally deaf in the latest years of those 23

@Nikioko

3 жыл бұрын

Except Bach. ;-)

@georgekouts

3 ай бұрын

@@Nikioko Bach was amazing in his own right, no one can argue that... but, Beethoven was deaf! Writing some of the, if not the greatest music ever written! Had he not had impaired hearing, no one would ever speak of Bach!

@MsAppassionata

3 ай бұрын

@@georgekouts Well, I’m a Beethoven fan myself (hence my user name) but I wouldn’t even go that far.

@georgekouts

3 ай бұрын

@@MsAppassionata That's fair, it's all about perspective after all, isn't it? Each composer has left an indelible mark on the world of music in their own way. Perhaps, it's best to not compare the two, but rather celebrate the richness and diversity of musical genius.

Beethoven must of had absolute pitch. There is no other way someone could write such brilliant music while almost completely deaf. Absolute genius.

@banana_in_a_tuxedo

Жыл бұрын

I think he had better perfect pitch than most other people with it

@Noctifern

Жыл бұрын

I think he had the best perfect pitch of anyone who has ever lived

@RubenSelassie

6 ай бұрын

reading and writing that why

Sometimes when I think of Beethoven, I cry. To think that he created some of the greatest music ever on Earth and did not hear much of it is beyond tragic.

@philipk4475

3 жыл бұрын

Not with his ears, but he heard the music alright.

@lucaszavaluentie4855

2 жыл бұрын

“Composers don’t cry, composers are made of fire.”

@Magnetron33

2 жыл бұрын

@@lucaszavaluentie4855 You must be and live the emotion to portray it with accuracy in music. Sure it is a bit of a cliche that to write a sad blues number you need to be sad. I am sure sadness inspired many great blues songs, but all you really need is to have already had the experience. You don't have to aquire that state at that moment but you certainly can remember the pain.

Wrote one of the greatest symphonies ever while totally deaf. Hands down the greatest composer in the history of Western music.

@johnnicholson8345

2 жыл бұрын

no doubt

@idontgivea1769

2 жыл бұрын

Beethoven himselft wouldn’t agree

@RH-xs8gz

2 жыл бұрын

@@idontgivea1769 did you ask him?

@christianhenry4173

Жыл бұрын

I think he is well respected but today beethoven would be the greatest producer if he had ears today. But classical music is not that interesting beyond its competitors today

@EK-gr9gd

Жыл бұрын

Verdi considered it mediocre. Nice verdict by someone who never wrote a symphony.

I have had the privilege to perform numerous Beethoven works, including 2d, 5th, and 8th symphonies, 4th piano concerto, Coriolan and Egmont overtures, and the horn sonata. It is incredible music.

@ralphcordon5688

3 жыл бұрын

So you're a horn player then, right?

Beethoven is simply inspiring.

@paologiannini2551

3 жыл бұрын

esecially the music.

Deaf guy becomes world's greatest composer. That is dedication.

@dontsubscribeme9547

3 жыл бұрын

One of the greatest, not the greatest.

@koolaids-man8668

3 жыл бұрын

@@dontsubscribeme9547 I see someone has never listened to the 9th Symphony haha

@dontsubscribeme9547

3 жыл бұрын

@@koolaids-man8668 turkish march and mozart the greatest.. Not dada da daa..

@nikhil518

3 жыл бұрын

@@dontsubscribeme9547 woah , you saying mozart is greatest is understandable , but he is greatest because of turkish march ?😂 now that is hilarious

@nikhil518

3 жыл бұрын

@@dontsubscribeme9547 You should listen to some music of mozart before saying his best is turkish march

"All the good music has already been written by people with wigs and stuff." - Frank Zappa

@nightwhenjar

4 жыл бұрын

pretty sure he didn't wear wigs

@FreakieFan

4 жыл бұрын

@@nightwhenjar r/woosh

@Marc_Masters

4 жыл бұрын

Nah

@engagementengagement8836

3 жыл бұрын

Guido Anselmi but he didn’t

@fredhaight3088

3 жыл бұрын

"Mediocre composers knew how to imitate the powdered wigs of Haydn and Mozart, but not the heads that wore them"- Robert Schumann.

Great presentation on Beethoven!! You chose the best bits of information to remind me of this great composer.

@Barroid

5 жыл бұрын

And...Beethoven is NOT a Blocker!

@keky2778

3 жыл бұрын

We just gonna ignore the fact that is NAHRE SOL

@planetclownfishbrain7052

3 жыл бұрын

Ya'll keep pretending he wasn't Black, you lying blue eyed devils.

@joeleugene9735

2 жыл бұрын

i know Im asking the wrong place but does anyone know a way to get back into an instagram account..? I stupidly forgot my account password. I would appreciate any tricks you can offer me

@quentintucker8320

2 жыл бұрын

@Joel Eugene Instablaster ;)

That heiligenstadt reading with the 5th piano concerto was just beautiful

Reading that letter to his brothers I believe almost made me cry. It’s tragically beautiful.

My life goal is to go to Vienna in 2024 to see a performance of Beethoven's 9th on it's 200th anniversary.

@zero5496

4 жыл бұрын

think i will go too, I hope Lang Lang will be there, been watching his performance for years and my dad sponsored him multiple times too

@andymilstenmusic8520

4 жыл бұрын

Alfonso Munoz Awesome, hope I see you there!

@omglolgiraffe

3 жыл бұрын

@@andymilstenmusic8520 Ill say hello if I bump into you

@andymilstenmusic8520

3 жыл бұрын

Karthik Selvan Sure thing!!

The story of the 9th symphony gets me every time. Incredible isn't nearly enough to describe it. Note: You should listen to it. Yes, the whole hour. The ode to joy is great, but definitely not all of the 9th and maybe not even the greatest part.

@randomguy-hc7pv

5 жыл бұрын

What ks the ninth symphony

When you listen to the complexity of his music you get a glimpse of the power of his genius... truly inspiring!

Well done, Rick. The novel, The Black Spaniard, addresses Beethoven's struggle with deafness and his decision to embrace life. Glad he did! :)

The Heilegestat testament breaks my heart every time I read it or hear it read. What a musician and artist. So great his godlike talent we forget he never heard some of his greatest works.

Cant wait for the Mozart's 5 things!

The fact that he wrote some of the most important music works of all time completly deaf speaks a lot of his generosity and cunning mind. He knew it was a life achievment that would put him among the greatest composers.... but yet was a hard task to do. He wrote the 9th symphony and never heard a single note. That is generosity!! Fortunatly I had the chance to sing the "Ode to Joy" twice in a month some years ago, in big open air concerts. Unfforgetable experience!!!! Greetings from Brasil

I can hear your admiration for this amazing composer. Thanks for sharing.

0:08 Beethoven was born into a family of musicians 0:35 Did Beethoven and Mozart ever meet? 1:14 Beethoven began growing deaf [age 25] 3:22 [Beethoven hosted a 4 hour concert featuring his 5th & 6th symphonies] This was the greatest concert of all time. 5:12 Beethoven's late works

Incredible video. I teared up at your reading of those portions of the Heiligenstadt Testament

Beethoven has always been my favorite composer. Thanks Rick.

He was also one of the greatest men to ever live. It takes a true man to rise above all that suffering and create beauty for the world out of his pain

Thank you Rick. Beethoven has been my favorite classical composer since the late 1970's. I have many times taken some of his passages to create interesting drum patterns.

I will always love Mr.Beethoven...the Man....his Music...His Spirit... his Mind and his relentless determination to keep on going no matter what ever odds in life that he faced!! That is why this man is an immortal great!!

What I find so refreshing is your knowledge of all KINDS of music. It is somehow inspiring and comforting to see your enthusiasm so evident across such a varied musical-style spectrum.

His letter to his brothers makes me weep.

Extremely moving! Thank you!

Beethoven also didn't use any Apple products!

@RH-xs8gz

5 жыл бұрын

And didn't use autotune!

@Brucesterious

4 жыл бұрын

He used Samsung

@K2KOfcoursegg

4 жыл бұрын

It was 1800 you dumb

@K2KOfcoursegg

4 жыл бұрын

Apple was invented in 1960

@jtrawson1559

4 жыл бұрын

@@K2KOfcoursegg When Jobs was 5!

So well presented. Thank you Rick. This was very interesting and is a wonderful tribute to the greatest composer ever.

Rick. I was driven to tears by your beautiful tribute to Beethoven (the 2nd movement of the 5th piano concerto - in the background - always has a tendency to do this to me). It is really nice to have a little overview like this by someone who knows his stuff. Keep up the good work.

Beethoven was not composer of the all the time but also he was the greatest minds of all the time🙏🙏❤️

I swear that your content is never disappointing. Your channel is really interesting and helpful. Thank you so very much.

"Ah, it seemed to me impossible to leave the world until I had brought forth all that I felt was within me. So I endured this wretched existence - truly wretched for so susceptible a body, which can be thrown by a sudden change from the best condition to the very worst. - Patience, they say, is what I must now choose for my guide" ...absolutely beautiful words. I was injured while in the military and had to draw back my live shows substantially back around '13. I've been "signed" a few times, but was much more successful as a true indie, getting music on international radio and signing deals with MTV, Vh1, Paramount Films, performing Fri night of SXSW, and so on. This was an inspiring post Rick. I'm just north of you in TN - we should get together sometime. Lunch is on me!

Fantastic video! I'd love to see more of these.

Great content! I'd love to see more videos about famous composers. Keep up the good work!

Hey Rick, very well done to your work: lectures on music, composition, composers, orchestration etc. I've been following for some time now. Bravo! We all really appreciate your work!

@RickBeato

7 жыл бұрын

Hi Merek, thank you so much for the kind words! I just listened to your NEO VARIATIONS : Tribute to John Towner Williams. Bravo! It sounds beautiful. I just subscribed and look forward to checking out your other videos. Rick

Super nice video! Thank you!

Well done, I knew many of these things already, but your presentation gave me chills all the same. It's nice to see that you (like me) see no need to make qualitative distinctions between popular and classical music; they can each attain the sublime.

The very first music I remember in my life was the Scherzo from the Ninth. To this day, I can't listen to his music without being profoundly moved. The Andante from the Seventh brings me to tears every time.

The allegretto of Beethoven's 7th: that's where it's at. And the sonatas "Appassionata" and "Pathetique" , especially played by Arrau. Listen to them and be amazed by the beauty.

Bravo. I love facts about Ludwig. Nearly 300 years and still on the charts. Stunning.

Great presentation! One of my favourites!

Wonderful video! I love the 5th piano concerto. Keep making great videos!

This was really interesting! I knew he started using lower notes more as his hearing went but I didn't actually realize he had composed music without being able to hear it at all! And I also didn't know he kept his hearing loss a secret, I had assumed being a deaf or hard of hearing composer had been part of what made him famous in the first place. Great video!

Beethoven is one of my favorite composers; absolutely fantastic!

Fantastic. Wow just wow. Thanks.

if I was in that cold theatre, all of beethoven's music would've warmed me up for sure

Great video ! Very educational.

Man, I wish I could have attended that concert. I live in Vienna and I visit Beethovens grave and some of the houses he lived in regularly. I couldn't bare life without his music.

This was a wonderful presentation which I am passing on to my piano students immediately! I didn't know about #4! Excellent!

fantastic video

Beautifull!! Thanks, you are the best!

Superb Commentary. Thank You Immensely.

He was a badass. The excerpt you read is heartbreaking, yet his story is inspiring.

Thanks Rick, beautiful stuff. As Brooke said, I knew some of this. I could not have recited the pieces played on December 22, 1808. The only thing that I would add is that I read, in "Beethoven's Hair," that he went completely deaf by 1811. The 7th Symphony is, by far, my favorite. I need to check out Missa Solemnis. Just saw American Bach Soloists perform Bach's Mass in B Minor, this past Sunday, in San Francisco. Thanks again for the inspiration.

Beethoven is my favourite classical composer. The Ninth Symphony is my favourite

Rick, your storytelling skills are almost as good as your lectures on music! Thank you

Hi Rick, FANTASTIC series of videos.

EXCELLENT!! Thanks, Rick.

What an enthusiastic musician and what a great channel. I love seeing this kind of stuff.

excellent stuff. the best channel for music heads.

Damn! You edify like no other. Feel a bit smarter and a bit better as a human being with every one of your videos. Thanks, Brother.

Truly incredible mastery of compositions and what a pianist.I have spent 6 months trying to perfect and play a piece that he composed, you really have no idea of the technical virtuosity that he had when you attempt to play his piece. Mind-blowing!

Blast from the past with these old videos of yours ❤

Oh Rick! Those words from Beethoven made me burst into weeping...such irrestible emotion!! So moving...was totally unprepared for that!

Great video.

Such great videos

Wow, nicely done Rick!

This has to be one of the most powerful and now my favorite of all your videos thus far. This will help me when I go back to my classroom in a few weeks. My 6th grade music students will benefit from your expertise. Thank you.

@ralphcordon5688

3 жыл бұрын

As a music teacher you didn't know any of those facts?

@suzanneemerson9787

Жыл бұрын

@@ralphcordon5688 He didn’t say that. He enjoyed the presentation.

Great video. It's great seeing your passion extended to older music in the Western tradition. If anyone is interested in Beethoven's late work, give a listen to his Grosse Fuge for string quartet. It was written after Beethoven's deafness had become complete & was one of the last pieces he wrote. After its premier the Grosse Fuge was ripped by the critics of the time, as it is very dissonant &, in places, difficult to listen to. By the time the early 20th Century had rolled around this work was finally being recognized as the great work it was (& is). Stravinsky stated, "[the Grosse Fuge is] an absolutely contemporary piece of music that will be contemporary forever."

@Fumozart

2 жыл бұрын

Große Fuge is hard to get into tho

What a great little segment!

Been to the Vienna cemetery three times now to stand at Beethoven's grave next to Mozart and many others buried there. You made a nice video that spoke to his greatness.

Thank you. Very informative

Excellent! Thank you!

Very interesting! These composers were just on a different level in talent. Those were different times and led to the climax of talent and perfection. They were just incredible!

Very well done - thanks for ths!

Thank you very much! Impressive!

Thanks Rick What you presented got me a little verklempt🤗 Not enough homage has been payed to these guys. Beethoven’s one of my favs...thx again

Straight to the point I like it

This video is definitely going into my music favorites playlist. it's my playlist for music AND music topics. I love beeth-oven (B&T reference). Thank you for this video

I knew all these things, but Beethoven is also my favorite person in the history of the world.

Thanks for sharing.

XLNT vid Rick! Yep - It truly is incredible how the 9th has endured and been used for so many purposes through-out human history since that time. I consider the 9th to be the greatest musical piece written by a human on planet earth. We will be seeing the 9th performed in Dallas by the magnificent DSO later this summer. I can not wait!!!

thank you Rick... you have an amazing memory and your ability to ,retrieve the information in it, is astounding to me... thank you once again... very informative and entertaining all at the same time!!! wonderful stuff!!! ;'0) M

Glad to hear at least a couple of details about Beethoven that I didn't previously know. BTW, while it might be in doubt whether he met Mozart or not, he certainly became acquainted with Salieri, an acquaintance that resulted in a very odd set of a cappella partsongs in Italian, to texts by Metastasio. BTW, I conducted the Mass in C a couple of seasons ago -- what a wonderful piece! At the time of that 1808 concert, it was still "fresh," having only been completed a little more than a year previous.

#3 is very moving. Of course you hit us with a great music cue.

Wow, can't believe that I had missed this one! ...and the 4th is my favorite too!

Very nice Rick---- I too am a Beethoven fan. But you've left out one of his supreme achievements------his opera "Fidelio". I have listened and studied it for many years, and own about eight of the highest-rated recordings. Some people (myself included) think it's the greatest opera ever written. I never get tired of listening to it. It has everything and then some. Every composer since Beethoven has had to look up to him. As Brahms once said, "You have no idea what it is like having to work in the shadow of such a giant".

Great video thank you.

Beautiful! 🙏🏻🌱

Excellent presentation!

Amazing video. I loved how his music played in the background as you talked about it. I agree completely about Beethoven being one of the greatest minds of our time. I consider him on of the most important humans to have ever lived.

@hendriphile

3 жыл бұрын

“Beethoven... the greatest creative benefactor of all time, bar none....” - Louis Biancolli

Love Beethoven, and love rock and roll. And naturally, a subscriber to your wonderful channel. Good choice of the 2nd movement of the 5th piano concerto as the background for his heartbreaking letter. You said so much, but could also have mentioned not only Hammerklavier but his last piano sonata, Op. 111, one of the most sublime works by anyone of all time. It incidentally introduces jazz/boogie woogie to the world, but also deeply spiritual ambient music. I hope there's a heaven, not for my sake, but so that Beethoven could finally find a place of happiness.

@kyleethekelt

2 жыл бұрын

Oh yes. I can well imagine him and George Gershwin tearing it up. The man was known for his skill at improvisation.

Beautiful.

Thank you, Rick.